Raw Date Truffles
November 18, 2009 { }
I love the holidays. Not the sometimes insane hustle and bustle or the manufactured gifts of obligation, but the decorations, the time together with good friends and family, and the very thoughtful gifts that come wrapped in love. I’ve been pondering what to make as gifts for a few months now, only because I want to give something really special, and something that’s healthier too without being overt about it.
A month ago, my mother-in-law gave me two of her old Jewish cookbooks. They have her handwriting in them and some recipes clipped from newspapers. Joe is Jewish and I was raised Catholic so I know nothing about Jewish cooking. I have, though, been reading the cookbooks and am amazed at how healthy so many of their holiday recipes are. Instead of being laden with sugar and flour, they often use dates, prunes, or honey as a sweetener and bake gluten-free with nut flours and potato flour or starch. I was thrilled. Joe just grinned and said, “Yeah, of course.”
I’ve adapted a recipe from The Community Cook Book, which is a compilation of recipes from the Congregation of B’Nai Israel in Rhode Island published in 1947. The original recipe was called Fruit Candy, and I’ve tweaked it to my liking, added nuts, and decided that they should be called truffles for the holidays. Best of all, it’s naturally gluten-free and refined sugar-free.
They’re so good – and good for you, especially when compared to the chocolate truffles. Raisins, figs, and raw almonds are even considered to be among some of the most nutrient dense foods by The World’s Healthiest Foods. This would also be a fun recipe to get kids involved with – they could help roll the truffles and coat them in cocoa powder or coconut.
I got the gift boxes from Michael’s with one of their 40% off coupons, so they ended up being about 50 cents each. It came with the pre-cut tissue paper, which really looks nice.
A note about the cocoa powder – I tried both dutch processed cocoa powder and regular cocoa powder and found that the dutch processed cocoa powder was too bitter for my liking.
Reminders:
Today is Holiday Food Fest! Make sure to head over to Cents to Get Debt Free and link your Edible Gift or just leave a comment. Either way, you’ll be entered to win a PrecisionPro Digital Kitchen Scale
Kimi at The Nourishing Gourmet is also hosting a Handmade Gift Carnival today, so please stop by her place and check out her event as well. She’s invited everyone to participate, so feel free to link your homemade gifts, too. You can also check out Fight Back Friday for nutrition and wellness ideas.
I entered two contests this month, and if you like my Baked Alaska and my Spicy ‘n Sweet Turkey Pinto Bean Chili, I hope you’ll take a few minutes and vote for me.
You can vote for my Baked Alaska with Chocolate Cake and Raw Cacao Nibs at Bon Appetit’s Blog Envy contest. It’s in the last category, Miscellaneous Desserts. Vote for my Spicy ‘n Sweet Turkey Pinto Bean Chili at The Mixing Bowl.
Update: This post is Linked to The Bloggy Progressive Dinner hosted by Amy at The Finer Things in Life.
Raw Date Truffles
1 cup raw almonds
1 cup medjool dates, pitted and roughly chopped
1 cup organic raisins
1/2 cup dried black mission figs, stemmed and roughly chopped2 – 4 tablespoons shredded coconut
2 – 4 tablespoons cocoa powder (not dutch processed)Place almonds in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Process for 2 – 3 minutes until the almonds are finely chopped but no so small that it’s similar to almond meal. You want to retain some texture. Add dates, sultans, and figs. Process again for 3 – 5 minutes until the mixture sticks together all by itself. It will clump similar to the way a dough clumps when it comes together.
Use a spring release cookie scoop
for larger sized truffles or the large end of a melon baller
for smaller truffles. This will help you to achieve uniform sized balls. Roll the ‘dough’ between your hands to form a ball. Set the truffles on a plate or tray until you’ve finished all of the balls.
If your coconut isn’t finely shredded, you can put it in a spice grinder. It coats bets when it’s finely ground. Put the coconut on one plate and the cocoa powder on another. Coat the balls by rolling in either the coconut flakes or the cocoa powder. When rolling in cocoa powder, it’s okay to have a really good layer on the outside because the moistness of the truffle soaks it up a bit. You can place larger truffles in mini-cupcake papers or just pile them all in a tissue lined gift box.
Enjoy!
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Tags: almonds > dates > Dessert > figs > gluten-free > raw > sugar-free > truffles
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38 Responses to “Raw Date Truffles”
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Meet Amy Green
Nearly 6 years of living free of refined sugars and gluten has stopped my food cravings enabled me to maintain a 60+ pound weight loss. Today I live with enormous freedom. Join me as I create healthier food that's SS&GF and delicious. I hope to help you do the same. Read more about my story here.
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All photos and text (unless otherwise noted) on Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free are my own creations - and my intellectual property, all rights reserved. Please do not publish my work without my consent. Of course, you can use my work as inspiration to build upon (what a gift it would be to inspire others!) and in that case a link back would be appreciated. Copyright 2009, all rights reserved.
November 18th, 2009 @ 9:30 pm
OK. I’m not one to choose healthy and good-for-you over chocolate decadence, but these look so lovely I just might have to try them. You may convert me, yet!
Another thought: do you have to keep these refrigerated? And how long do you think they’ll keep?
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Amy Reply:
November 18th, 2009 at 9:39 pm
@Heather @CeliacFamily, There’s nothing in these that would spoil so I’m sure you could leave them out for several days (at least!) in an air-tight container. I keep almonds, dates, raisins, and dried figs until I use them all. I don’t have a definite answer but I’m thinking for at least a week.
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November 18th, 2009 @ 9:40 pm
Wow, yum! I love these =D. Such a great idea, with the dates. I’ve just started eating dates recently, and am starting out slow – great way to enjoy them!
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November 18th, 2009 @ 9:42 pm
I AM MAKING THESE!!!!!!!
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November 18th, 2009 @ 9:45 pm
Oh my goodness! These look sooooooooooo good! I am making them, I can’t wait.
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November 19th, 2009 @ 6:21 am
Wow! I had never heard of such a thing! I get a nickle for learning something today:-)
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November 19th, 2009 @ 7:26 am
These look amazing! And such a beautiful presentation too!
~Liz
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November 19th, 2009 @ 7:36 am
I was thinking about making something like this for Christmas gifts. Thanks for the recipe!
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November 19th, 2009 @ 7:45 am
These are beautiful Amy. You continue to amaze me. How do you do it? You’re a blessing. Thank you.
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November 19th, 2009 @ 8:06 am
I love dates. I mean, they’re addictive and so tasty – I have to be strict about limiting how many I have! These sound so good. I am definitely making them.
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November 19th, 2009 @ 8:18 am
I used dates for the first time ever last year (I think) and loved them. I rarely buy them because I could never use them all. These sound and look so good–I’ll have to give them a try!
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November 19th, 2009 @ 10:34 am
very true about Jewish baking being healthy, my grandmother baked with almond, walnut and hazelnut meal frequently. thereis a great dessert cookbook that has numerous grain-free recipes, I linked to it > here.
I think I will try your recipe too!
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Amy Reply:
November 19th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
@emily, Thanks for the info! I have been making more ‘traditional’ Jewish food lately. So much of it is what I love to eat. I recently made Tzimmies with sweet potatoes, prunes, currants, a little onion, and a cinnamon stick. My sweet potato hating husband asked me to make them again.
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November 19th, 2009 @ 11:20 am
[...] Amy @ Simply Sugar & Gluten-Free Raw Date Truffles – A nourishing gift that’s simple to make and tastes [...]
November 19th, 2009 @ 1:46 pm
Those look great. I made something similar last year with just the dates, nuts and coconut. Didn’t add in the figs. Will give that a try. Sounds really good. I wonder if the Scharffen Berger chocolate would work on that? Hmmm, I think I know what I’m making for that pot luck tomorrow.
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November 19th, 2009 @ 2:41 pm
They look yummy. Another recipe to try over winter vacation.
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November 19th, 2009 @ 7:48 pm
Those look so good!! I will have to give those a try!
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November 19th, 2009 @ 10:52 pm
ooooooh, I love this recipe. It’s so simple (making truffles can be simple, and it can also be pretty hard-I’ve made them the hard way before and it’s so time consuming!).
Thanks so much for the great addition to the carnival. This is a favorite.
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November 20th, 2009 @ 6:54 am
Stunning, Amy! I think everyone loves the parts of the holidays that you cite. The trick is always to escape the insanity part.
I think we are getting better at it at our house.
I love that you found wonderful recipes in a “regular” cookbook. That’s one thing I am always teaching folks new to my support group–that they don’t have to throw away their cookbooks that aren’t labeled “gluten free,” etc. That sounds like a fabulous cookbook and it’s so nice to have that little bit of history with Joe’s mom, too.
Holiday Food Fest has given us so many wonderful recipes already!
Off to vote for your contest entries–best of luck!
Shirley
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Amy Reply:
November 20th, 2009 at 7:59 am
@gfe–gluten free easily, Thanks for the votes…you’re a doll. Yes, escaping the insanity is something we try to do…it’s not worth it. It takes some planning on my part, but I might be able to do it this year.
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November 20th, 2009 @ 7:47 am
These are so beautiful, Amy! And, the best part is, I have ALL the ingredients. Our dessert tonight?
Thanks!
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November 21st, 2009 @ 12:49 pm
Hiya, Amy! The truffles are fantastic! I just finished making them (and enjoying one). I love recipes like these that combine my favorite dried fruits for sweetening. I started out with crispy almonds – soaked then dehydrated. They worked fabulously.
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Amy Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 5:36 pm
@Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS, I knew you would soak and dehydrate the almonds. I haven’t started doing that yet, but I hope too soon.
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November 21st, 2009 @ 12:55 pm
Oh, I was wondering… You specify non-Dutch processed chocolate and I wonder why when there’s no possible leavening reaction? The whole cocoa powder issue is one I haven’t figured out yet, so I’d love to hear your thoughts.
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Amy Reply:
November 21st, 2009 at 5:35 pm
@Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS, I tried the truffles with dutch processed cocoa powder and, personally, it was a little too bitter for me to feel comfortable giving as a gift. Non-dutched had a better taste – at least in my personal opinion. I haven’t figured out the cocoa powder issue, either.
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November 21st, 2009 @ 1:27 pm
Hi Amy,
Thanks for your comment on my baked bananas. I’d love to read about how you do yours on the stove top. I’ve never thought about doing them that way, but it sounds great. You should write a post on that!
Have a great weekend!
Kari
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November 21st, 2009 @ 10:18 pm
What a great recipe, look forward to trying it out.
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November 22nd, 2009 @ 12:36 am
Wow! I love your picture with the nice gift boxes. They look so professional. What a great recipe for a healthy treat to share during the holidays.
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November 24th, 2009 @ 12:10 am
[...] Raw Date Truffles ~ I guess I was looking for inspiration last week in my cooking. These truffles were inspired by Amy @ Simply Sugar and Gluten Free. I knew I had to make them when I read the ingredients of her recipe – I had every single one of them! The truffles were wonderful. The only thing I did differently was to start with crispy almonds – almonds that I had soaked and dehydrated to neutralize the enzyme inhibitors otherwise present. Thanks, Amy, for a great recipe! [...]
November 24th, 2009 @ 9:29 am
These look amazing! Great use of natural sweeteners for these truffles. I bet they are decadent!
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November 27th, 2009 @ 1:50 pm
[...] Antiquity Oaks — Where to start with healthier eating3. Greener Sheep- Home Made Chevre4. Amy @ SS&GF – Raw Date Truffles5. DO YOU ONLY EAT FOODS IN SEASON? Kelly the Kitchen Kop6. Mom For Safe Food – Red Wine [...]
December 2nd, 2009 @ 10:53 am
[...] – mix them with dried fruits for a trail mix. Add them into raw nut and fruit snacks, such as Amy’s raw date truffles. Eating soaked and dehydrated nuts/seeds with a meal provides digestive enzymes to help the body [...]
December 4th, 2009 @ 10:55 am
These truffles look amazing with dates & almonds!
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December 5th, 2009 @ 9:28 pm
Love your packaging, too. Such a professional touch!
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December 10th, 2009 @ 5:11 pm
Hi Amy! How fun, we’ve posted a similar recipe for Almond & Dates truffles some time ago. Aren’t they just amazing. And so easy to make!
You can also try adding chili or coffee to them, it’s a nice twist!
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Amy Reply:
December 10th, 2009 at 5:29 pm
@David @ Green Kitchen Stories, I checked out your post. It’s great. I like your variations. I did a coffee post here recently and was shocked at how many people don’t drink coffee or use it in their cooking. I’m drinking a hot cup of joe right now…needless to say it’s a staple around here.
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December 10th, 2009 @ 11:17 pm
Love your post! I made something similar with my kids this afternoon, so when I saw your recipe I had to smile.
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December 17th, 2009 @ 2:58 pm
Made your recipe the other night and they were amazing! This recipe is a keeper. My kids couldn’t stop eating them…and neither could I! Thank you!
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